Glyphs
How do you fancy supporting the arrival of a new perfume brand? The Netherlands-based Glyphs* is currently searching for backers on Kickstarter, with a campaign scheduled to end on the 31st of May. At the time of writing, it’s raised only around £1,500 of its £58,500 goal, so the prospects aren’t great, but these things do have a habit of picking up at the last minute. Inspired by “the historical origins of the Latin alphabet” (not the most ludicrous idea, as far as fragrance concepts go), the debut trio, composed by Mark Buxton, consists of Aleph, Beth and Gimel.
With their translucent woodiness – heavy on the cedar inflection of Iso E Super – all three are recognisably Buxton-esque. Aleph filters a metallic, rosy vetiver through animalic musks. Beth revisits the snuffed candles of Comme Des Garcons 2 Man with burnt nuts and a subtly floral-tinged incense. And Gimel presents a raspberry-edged rose next to a restrained amber note. All three are on the quiet side, although they certainly don’t lack tenacity. It would be difficult to call them original, but perhaps a brand trying to attract crowdfunding attention can’t afford to veer too far from safe territory. That said, it’s not often that such projects come along in the perfume world, so anyone intrigued by the idea of aiding a new scented venture would do well to check out the Kickstarter. Here’s a link: Glyphs perfume Kickstarte page.
Arquiste Misfit
& Sydney Rock Pool
Post-birth, a brand’s development can often be traced as a series of pressure points. Or, to be more precise: a story either of giving in to or resisting various pressure points. When Arquiste first appeared, it was with a portfolio of distinct, bold, clear-voiced compositions that deserved all the praise they received. But as the initial hype faded away, there was a sense that brand founder and director, Carlos Huber, began making more commercially-minded creative decisions. And who could blame him? After all, his company has to obey fiscal imperatives in the same way that everybody else’s does.
His most recent releases, Misfit** (2019) and Sydney Rock Pool** (2018) see him in a curious in-between phase. On the one hand, they appear entirely uninterested in flirting with customers’ pennies: the former is a brash patchouli (always a bit of a tough sell) and the latter is a seaweedy aquatic (enough said). However, both of them seem anxious to tone down their idiosyncrasies and become more palatable, with the result that they end up falling into the dangerous gap between the two camps. Misfit resorts to an excessive, trying-too-hard dose of woody-ambers and sour-metallic patchouli materials. While Sydney – with its brash coconut facet – feels like it has emerged from a lab rather than a breeze-blown beach. After giving them both some time, I sought out my sample of El** (2016; composed by Rodrigo Flores-Roux, as are the other two) and enjoyed being reminded of how superb this brand is at its best. Click here for my original review of this beauty. And here’s a link to my recent interview with Flores-Roux.
DS & Durga St Vetyver
DS & Durga are also in playing-it-safe mode with St Vetyver*, a likeable if forgettable presentation of vetiver in a cologne-like setting. It’s certainly well put-together – the transition from ‘citrus’ to ‘green’ to ‘rooty’ is seamless – but one wonders whether the world needs another scent of this sort. Answer: it probably doesn’t.
Masque Milano Kintsugi
One day soon, I must give some space on this site to Masque Milano’s sizeable portfolio, but I don’t want any more time to pass before I mention Kintsugi*, their 2019 release by Vanina Muracciole. Named after the Japanese practice of mending broken pottery with gold (and thereby creating a piece that is more beautiful than it was pre-damage), it is a striking, impassioned take on green, violet-leaf-inflected leather and tart floral notes. Like some haughty older relative of Tom Ford Tuscan Leather – complete with under-lit cheekbones and angular eyebrows – it deserves both respect and admiration. Click here for my recent interview with brand co-founder Alessandro Brun.
Tauer Perfumes Incense Extreme
Finally, my recent enjoyment of Louis Vuitton Nuit De Feu led me to reach for Andy Tauer’s Incense Extreme**. What a delight this scent is. As absorbing as it is simple, even after all these years, it always manages to catch the light in unexpected ways and present some new angle of its personality. Most recently, it revealed a greater serenity than I’d ever detected before: a profound, Zen-like sense of composure. Very welcome indeed, amidst all the madness around us.
Persolaise
* sample provided by the brand
** sample obtained by me
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